magical family musical, Czech premiere
In 1988, the star English novelist Roald Dahl published a book that was included in the long list of his favorite titles for children's readers, many of which are also known to Czechs: Jakub and the Giant Peach, Karl and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Good Giant or Witch. The story is named after its main character. Matilda is still a little girl who has just started school, but despite her troubled family background, she is an extremely talented girl who loves to read and also has the unusual magical gift of telekinesis. Thanks to her special talent and kind nature, she helps to solve the personal problems of Miss Honey, the teacher, in whom she finds not only understanding for her passion for reading, but also the necessary love and tenderness, which she never received in her own family.
In 1996, the director, actor and producer Danny DeVito successfully brought this theme to the screen, and the book model thus regained its popularity. Tim Minchin, an Australian singer-songwriter, comedian and lifelong fan of Roald Dahl, tried as a 23-year-old in 1998 to get the rights to a new version of the popular story from Dahl's heirs, but at that time he had not yet succeeded. It was not until many years later, in September 2009, that the Royal Shakespeare Company announced that in the winter of 2010 the musical adaptation of Dahl's Matilda would have its world premiere at Stratford, with songs by Tim Minchin. It was followed by a critically acclaimed 2011 West End release at the Cambridge Theatre, which received nine nominations for the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award and also received the most prestigious award for Best Musical. A Broadway run followed, followed by a string of nominations as well as five converted Tony Awards.
In the Czech premiere of Matilda, director Petr Gazdík will certainly make use of his experience of working with child actors for many years, who have a huge role in this production, and that is why the theater is already working on their training in a special musical preparation, which will take place from the beginning of 2022. Matilda is undoubtedly a unique musical event that no lover of this genre should miss. And believe me, you will want to see it more than once!
